Washing-machine



M del.) o L. J. MONTGOMERY 8v C. P. TOWNSEND.

WASHING MACHINE.

No. 422,144. Patented Feb.25,1890\.

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UNITED STATES PATENT l OFFICE.

LEVI JAMES MONTGOMERY AND CLARK PLUMLEY TOVNSEND, OF BROKEN BOW,NEBRASKA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 422,144, dated February25, 1890.

Application filed .Tuly 31,1888. Serial No. 281,530. (Model.)

T @ZZ whom, it may concern: ter-boiler or steam-generator of the appara-Be it known that we, LEVI JAMES MONT- tus, and has in its closed top CZan opening eoMERY and CLARK PLUMLEY TowNsEND, of d', through which thewater or washing-liq- Broken Bow, in the county of Custer and uid willbe poured into it, and this opening 5 State of Nebraska, have invented anew and will be'closed by a screw-cap or plug d2,fltted ImprovedClothes-Vasher, of which the folto a collarV or flange at the opening,and lowing is a full, clear, and exact description. shown in dottedlines in Fig. l of the draW- 6o Our invention relates to an apparatusings. The compartment D communicates whereby clothes may be washedwithout n1e with the one C only by means of a thimible c,

1o chanical rubbing or" squeezing of them by fitted in or to thepartition a and projecting hand and with economy of time and labor;outward therefrom soas to make a joint with and the invention has forits object to proan upper tube of the clothes-box, as hereinvide asimple, inexpensive, and efficient after explained. A tube E,which ispreferclothes-washer in which circulating hot wa* ably run verticallythrough the boiler-com- 15 ter and steam are utilized in a manner assur`partment D, has a lower elbow or bend e',

ing quick and Vthorough cleansing of the which projects into theclothes-box compartclothes and without injuring them. ment O at itsbottom, and an upper elbow e,

The invention consists in certain novel feawhich projects through thethimble c into tures of construction and combination of the compartment(l, butis sufficientlysmaller zo parts of the clothes-washer, all ashereinafter than the thimble to provide a somewhat nardescribed andclaimed. Y row annular steam-outlet F between the el- Reference is tobehad to the accompanying bow and the thimble, and through whichdrawings, forming a part of this specification, steam will pass from theboiler-compartment in which similar letters of reference indicate D tothe clothes-box. 2 5 corresponding parts in all the figures. At thebottom of the compartment C is fixed Figure l is a central longitudinalsection or fitted an auxiliary floor G, which slants at of the preferredform of our `improved its central portion and lengthwise from a 8Oclothes-Washer. Fig. 2 is a vertical tianspoint a little above the openend of the elbow verse section thereof, taken on the lineoc n in e ofthe pipe E to the farther end of the bot- 3o Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a centrallongitudinal sectom proper of the boiler A, and the floor also tion of amodified form of the washer operatslants to said bottom at the sides ofthe boiler ing on the same general principles; and Fig. and is providedwith holes gone next the 4 is a vertical transverse section thereof,farther end and one at each side of the comtaken on the line y y in Fig.3. Fig. 5 is a partment (Las shown in Figs. l, 2, and 5 of 35 plan viewof the boiler of the washer, the the drawings. These holes g allowcirculalclothes-box being removed; and Fig. 6 is a tion of boiling waterand steam from the bot- Vertical transverse section taken through thetom of the compartment C up through the steam-generator of the washerand on the tube E, and thence to the top of the clothesline e ,e ineither Figs. l or 3. box.

4o We will first describe the washer in its The clothes box or holderBin its preferred preferred form and with more special referform is madeas a cylindrical case, which fits ence to Figs. l, 2, 5, and 6 of thedrawings, as within the boiler-compartment C and has op- 95 follows:posite side trunnions or gudgeons l) l), by

The washer consists of two main partsa which it is journaled in opennotcli-bearings 45 boilerA and a clothes box or holderB-which, at thetop of the boiler. A portion of the pe- When the washer is in use, isplaced withinA riphery of the box B is formed as a door H, the :mainopeirtopped section or compartwhich is hinged at h at one side or end,and roo ment of the boiler, as hereinafter explained. may be held closedbya suitable catch, lug,- The boilerA is preferably made in elongated orbutton 7a. The door is provided with a 5o rectangular form, and isdivided by a verseries of perforations hwhich allow free cirticaltransverse partition ainto two compartculat-ion of water and steamthrough it and ments-a large one C to receive the clothesthe clotheswhich the box contains when the 105 box B and a small one D, which isthe wawasher is in use. The clothes-box has a suitable'handle or bailb', by which it may be lifted from the boiler.

Across the top and inside of the clothes-box B is fixed a plate J,preferably of semi-cylindrical form and provided throughout with aseries of perforations j, permitting escape of steam and Water from thechamber K, formed inside the plate J, and which had entered said chamberfrom the generator through an imperforate tube or pipe L, which is iixedat one end to the plate J, and is adapted to nt closely at its other endonto or over the thimble c, which projects from the inner wall d of thegenerator.

The operation of the clothes-washer is as follows: A proper quantity ofwater or washingdiuid will be placed in the clothes box compartment C ofthe machine, and the boilercompartment D will also be charged with wateror washing-fluid, and it may be up to the outlet F, and the cap or plug(Z2 will then be applied. The clothes-box B is then placed on the boilerA in such (not Working) position that it may be turned to bring the doorH uppermost, so that clothes may be placed within it. The box B is thenturned (see arrow) and adjusted so that the projecting end of tube Lengages the thimble c, as shown in Fig. l, and its journals also entertheir bearings in boiler A.

When the washer is placed on a stove or heater and the fluid in thecompartments C D boils, a circulation of the fluid will be establishedin the clothes-box B and in the compartment C by passage or flow of thefluid through the bottom holes g, and thence through the tube E, up toand through the clothes-box tube L and into the chamber K, and thencethrough the holes j of the plate J, down upon the clothes in the box.The

`steam generated 'in the boiler-compartment I) will, under considerablepressure, escape at the annular opening F in the thimble c, and therewill meet the water flowing` from the tube E into and along the tube L,the steam-j et thus acting` as an injector to stimulate thewater-circulation through said tube, the clothes-box, the compartment C,and the tube E, thereby causing the mingled circulating water and steamto be thrown downward forcibly onto the clothes in the box and inducinga strong suction of the washing-fluid downward through the clothes toquickly and thoroughly cleanse them without subjecting them tomechanical manipulationsuch as rubbing or squeezing themand reducing toa minimum the labor required of the operator.

We briefly explain the modified form of washer shown in Figs. 3 and t asfollows: The clothes-box B', instead of being made cylindrical, is madesquare or rectangular in general form and occupies quite all of theboiler-compartment C, in which it is suspended by the edge lianges ofits iixed or closed top resting on the boiler. The perforated bottom Hof this box B is hinged at one side and latched at the other side. Thebox is provided with a transversely-ranging upper perforated tube J,forming a chamber K, which communicates by a tube L with the outlet F ofthe steam-generator D. The operation of this modified form of washer issubstantially like the other, except that the clothes to be washed willbe placed in the box B while it is out of the boiler, and theclothes-charged box will then be inverted and placed in theboiler-compartment C andwith its tube L engaging the thimble c of thesteam-generator, and when the clothes are Washed the box B will bebodily lifted out of the boiler and may be carried to anyrinsing-vessel, into which the clothes may be discharged after thebox-door H is opened. The cylindrical clothes-box B above described mayalso be lifted from the boiler and carried toany desired place with theclothes in it; but by journaling said box on the boiler the washedclothes may be removed from it by simply turning it around until itsdoor H is uppermost, and the door may then be opened to allow theclothes to be removed from the box without the labor and inconvenienceinvolved in lifting the entire clothesbox from the boiler.

Itis not essential that the bottom G be employed; but by using it thedownward circulation of water through the clothes in the box B or B andthrough its perforated door H is maintained more equally, and a moreuniform cleansing of all the clothes in the box is thereby assured, aswill readily be understood.

Having thus .fully described our invention,

what we claim as new, and desire to secureV by Letters Patent, is-` 1.In a clothes-washer, the combination of a removable clothes box orholder having a lateral opening for admission of steam, and

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a tube L, leading from said opening part Way around the interior of theclothes-box, with the main boiler A, having a double bottom forming asteam-generating space or chamber, and a pipe E, communicating with suchspace and having a laterally-projecting top portion which coincides andcommunicates with the opening in the clothes-box when the latter isplaced in the boiler, as shown and described.

2. In a clothes-washer, the combination of a main boiler having alateral compartment D, a clothes-box located in the said main boiler andhaving an open-ended tube that extends through its sides, asteamgenerating chamber at the bottom of said boiler, and a tubeconnecting the said chamber With the tube in the clothes-box and passingthrough a thimble c in compartment D, which is large enough to allowspace for passage of water, as shown and described.

LEVI JAMES MONTGOMERY.

CLARK PLUMLEY TOWNSEND.

Vitnesses:

VINNEL BARNES, M W. BARNES.

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